Postnatal Depression & Birth Trauma

A baby changes your life. However much you wanted to be parents, the reality usually brings some surprises. Being a new parent is hard work

You may not have realised:

• How demanding a new baby can be
• How tired you can feel
• How long it might take to recover after the birth
• How frustrating it can be not to be able to predict how your day will be

Sometimes, parents feel overwhelmed by it all. You are not alone. Help and support is always at hand.

What are the baby blues?

New mothers usually get the ‘baby blues’ 2 - 4 days after the birth. This is so common that it is seen as normal.

• You may have difficulty sleeping
• You may not feel like eating
• You may feel very emotional
• You may also feel anxious, sad, guilty and afraid that you are not up to being
  a mother

Doctors suggest the baby blues may be down to changes in hormonal levels after the birth. It may be distressing, but should only last a few days.

What is Postnatal Depression (PND)?

• At least 1 new mother in 10 goes through PND
• Often it occurs when the baby is between 4 - 6 months old
• It can emerge at any time in the first year
• It can come on gradually or all of a sudden
• It can range from mild to severe

Common signs of PND:

• Feeling very low or despondent
• Feeling guilty about not coping or loving the baby enough
• Being unusually irritable
• Feeling tired and lethargic
• Wanting to cry
• Feeling unable to cope
• Losing your appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Being hostile/indifferent to partner/baby
• Losing interest in sex
• Having panic attacks
• An overpowering anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Obsessive fears about the baby’s health or wellbeing, or about yourself and other family members
• Thoughts about death

If you are feeling like this then talk to someone you trust. You are not alone and once you start talking about your feelings you will realise how many other mum’s out there feel like you do. “Pulling Together” in Colchester gives you the opportunity to meet up with other mum’s who feel like you do in a safe, supportive environment.

Talk to your Health Visitor about locally run Postnatal Depression Support Groups.

What is Birth Trauma?

‘Birth Trauma is in the eye of the beholder’
(Cheryl Beck Nursing Research, Jan/Feb 2004 Vol 53 No1)

Some women will experience events during pregnancy, childbirth or immediately after the birth that will leave them traumatised. For some women however, it is not always the dramatic events that trigger childbirth trauma. Other factors such as loss of control, loss of dignity, the hostile or difficult attitudes of the people around them, feelings of not being heard or the absence of informed consent to medical procedures can leave women traumatised.

Factors that could contribute to this trauma may include:

• Lengthy labour or short and very painful labour
• Induction
• Poor pain relief
• Feelings of loss of control
• High levels of medical intervention
• Traumatic or emergency deliveries
• Impersonal treatment or problems with the staff attitudes
• Not being listened to
• Lack of information or explanation
• Lack of privacy and dignity
• Fear for baby’s safety
• Baby’s stay in SCBU/NICU
• Poor postnatal care

Women affected by Postnatal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder often find that there is nowhere to turn for support, because it is hard to understand how affecting a bad birth can be. They may feel incredibly guilty as a result.

Although PTSD can overlap with Postnatal Depression, as some of the symptoms are the same, the two illnesses are distinct and need to be treated individually. If you feel that you are experiencing some of the problems, you are not alone and you are not to blame.

Find someone you trust to talk to or contact The Birth Trauma Association.

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